As per your suggestion Shok/Hjekk, I tested it out and you were right.

If you host a game, your Bowcastor charge up bar is invisible (you can only see your charging in scoped mode).

However if you JOIN a server and play you get the standard charge bar, just like Single Player! But it's a bit weird. If you charge up your bowcastor, and then switch weapons, then switch back, the charge is still there (not sure if you still fire a full strength bolt).

So interesting bug. I am guessing the "keep your charge" thing is just a visual glitch, that you don't really have a full charge switching away (the same thing occured in scoped mode normally). So just treat the bar as invisible if you're the host player.

This bug was untouched by the recent "patch." :P

Shok_Tinoktin

04-07-2005 10:49 PM

Actually, it does maintain its charge. I just checked to confirm. An uncharged shot looks light green, and a charged shot is blue green. I charged a shot, switched weapons, switched back and fired. The shot was blue green. I even fired a regular shot right after to compare. They were very clearly different. Also, I have gotten one hit kills by getting headshots with it like that. Its unlikely that they were already hurt, because it has happened one on one on a map where there is nowhere to take falling damage. It's possible that they had already taken damage, and the bolt is also a visual glitch, but I doubt it.

Kurgan

04-08-2005 12:36 AM

Interesting. I stand corrected then!

You could also perhaps guage it by the amount of ammo used. A fully charged shot should use more ammo than a regular shot (though you don't "lose" the charged ammo until you actually release the shot).

I would assume the hosts' invisible bar would retain the same properties, but then it's even harder to guage if you have a shot "ready to go."

That too could be a bug. Anyway, this is something they need to patch. It's just that people who never host non-dedicated won't notice it.

Shok_Tinoktin

04-08-2005 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kurgan You could also perhaps guage it by the amount of ammo used.

Okay, I've done this. On a server I created, it only used one unit of ammo, and on one I joined, it used 3. So it would seem most likely that it does in fact retain a charge when you join a server, but not when you host one.

Kurgan

04-08-2005 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shok_Tinoktin Okay, I've done this. On a server I created, it only used one unit of ammo, and on one I joined, it used 3. So it would seem most likely that it does in fact retain a charge when you join a server, but not when you host one.